The present invention relates to composite materials and more particularly relates to a process for making oriented, shaped articles including fibers and films of lyotropic polysaccharide/thermally-consolidatable polymer blends having composite utility.
High modulus fibers such as poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) sold under the trademark Kevlar.RTM. by E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company are useful for incorporation into polymeric matrix materials to produce composites. For some types of composites with thermoplastic polymer matrices, it is desirable to coat the high modulus fiber with the matrix polymer to produce coated fiber known as "prepreg" which can be directly molded into a composite by the application of heat and pressure. However, good quality "prepregs" are difficult to produce since wetting the fiber with the matrix polymer is often difficult. Also these prepregs are expensive due to the separate process steps necessary to apply the matrix polymer coating.